Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play If You Are But A Dream on piano
Written by Nathan Bonx, Jack Fulton & others
- C major
- 2/2
- 110 BPM
- 1941
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn If You Are But A Dream in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C – Em – C
How it goes
If You Are But A Dream sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIEmiiiCI- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: C – Dm – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDmC- DmD · F · A
Play next
Questions about If You Are But A Dream
What chords are in If You Are But A Dream?
The loop is G7 – C – Em – C (V7 – I – iii – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – Dm – C.
What key is If You Are But A Dream in?
C major, at about 110 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in If You Are But A Dream?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is If You Are But A Dream easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.